Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
There is no denying that Pakistan’s power sector is in a shambles; despite generating a surplus, utilisation of electricity is inefficient, distribution losses are surmounting and circular debt has surpassed Rs.4 trillion. Amongst all this, power theft has cost the country Rs.380 billion within the ongoing fiscal year and with an increase in tariffs, this amount is expected to rise to Rs.520 billion by the next year. Authorities need to devise solutions to minimise costs and enhance the performance of the power sector.
According to reports, the majority of the theft is carried out through tapping wires and the rest through meters that have been tampered with. Outside of the loss incurred, the worst part about this illegal activity is that it disproportionately impacts law abiding citizens who are burdened with an additional cost of Rs.220 billion per month. This means that they are paying for electricity illegally obtained by others who have chosen to defy the system. If not to protect itself from this cost, the government needs to devise and implement solutions that at least protects responsible citizens from gross exploitation.
The authorities state that various solutions were discussed and taken into consideration but were dropped due to their huge financial cost. While this is an understandable concern, we must realise that a one-time splurge may result in recovering billions of rupees that continue to go down the drain. Investment within the power sector is the only way to revive its performance and one solution that we can adopt is installing smart meters.
India saw immense success in tackling power theft through smart meters that are able to detect unusual and heavy power demands that point towards wire-tapping and enable authorities to shut off services to those that do not pay. Furthermore, they instill a sense of fear since they serve as a surveillance method and are much harder to tamper with. They also function through real time data collection, and are associated with the Internet of Things (IoT) which can detect when one part of the network of meters is not functioning as it should. This means that in the case they are tampered with, it is relatively easy to figure out and action can be taken immediately.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
Justice for victims
Though we are currently living in the 21st Century, yet the horrors of the master and slave relationship continue to persist throughout history. A week ago, a video circulated on social media featuring an old woman named Granaaz Mari holding a Holy Book and pleading for her life and the lives of her sons. The video was recorded in a notorious feudal lord’s private detention centre, where many victims are still being subjected to torture.
Recently, three corpses were discovered in a well near Barkhan Balochistan, and they were later identified as Granaaz Mari and her two sons. She, along with her sons, has been in detention since 2019 at MPA’s private jail. However, her husband confirmed that five other family members are still being held in detention for years. These horrifying incidents yield the glimpses of the past brutalities that still exist in modern times.
Such heinous crimes against humanity need to be addressed and justice must be served. The state and authorities should provide the long-awaited justice for the victims, as not even a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the perpetrators, who are backed by powerful quarters. A society cannot thrive if justice is only served to the elite and very costly for the poor.
GHULAMSHAH
Karachi
Freelancing woes
It is telling of the vitiated state of Pakistani freelancers, who are facing the serious challenge of foreign remittances. Keeping in mind, PayPal, a global payment service provider, is still nowhere in sight for Pakistani freelancers, while countries like Sri Lanka and Somalia are getting the facilities of this global finance-based organization. Despite notching the top 4th global rank in freelancing, PayPal has still not added Pakistan to its queue of registered nations. Ironically, this matter slips into oblivion after the fame of fifteen minutes.
In the current looming economic crisis, where the state is confronting with economic turmoil and political vengeance, freelancing is the only source of grabbing dollars into the country. It appears that the Ministry of IT went into hibernation after the arrival of Amazon in Pakistan. Where the progress in the IT sector is necessary, the revival of global organizations is no less important. Succinctly, the concerned authorities should bring this need of the hour to a global spotlight for the sake of freelancers’ bread and butter.
MOHSIN MUMTAZ
Chiniot
Fee hike in university
The Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad is one of the prestigious and world’s leading institutions in the country where innumerable students enrol annually from different regions of Pakistan. The University has given innumerable and precious assets to the nation in the shape of CSPs, economists, politicians, singers and professors, some of them are Maliha Lodhi (Pakistani diplomat), Abrar-Ul-Haq (singer), General Khalid Shameem (a four-star General) and Naela Chohan ( Pakistani Ambassador to Australia) etc.
But unfortunately, the exceeding fee has become the source of deprivation of the enrolment of students from middle class families. However, the actual fee of the University is 30 to 32 thousands but other charges such as transportation, security and section fee makes it 48 thousands. While transportation fee is compulsory for every individual whether you use or not, which is a big portion of total pay.
As an affected student, I request HEC and other relevant authorities to pay heed to this issue and lift down charges on such services which are not being used by the students.
S UMRANI
Malir, Karachi
Box letter
Broken streets and roads
Karachi is the largest city of Pakistan and has the worst infrastructure. The roads and streets of Karachi have deteriorated overtime. The area where I live in (Liaquatabad), the streets here are the worst and one cannot travel in a rickshaw even pedestrians cannot travel here. Broken roads across the city have made it extremely difficult for the people to travel. Overflowing sewers, filthy water, pothole-ridden streets, etc, show the failure and incompetence of the relevant authorities. The material used in roads’ repair work is usually of low-quality. After a month or two, commuters start facing the same problems. It has been years since I had a smooth ride on the road. Having even roads is a fundamental necessity because it makes your commuting partly easy. The concerned authorities should look into this matter because fragmented roads damage the vehicle’s suspensions. Moreover, this results in traffic jams during peak hours and frequent accidents. Many roads are under construction due to which other roads are getting crowded. Many accidents happen because of this. There are no proper footpaths for people to walk, thus many walk on the sides of roads, but the condition of dilapidated roads makes it difficult for the people to walk comfortably, and there are chances of tripping over easily. It is a fundamental right of citizens to have a better road network. No satisfactory repair work has been done to fix the roads. The Sindh government should pay attention to this important issue. The authorities concerned must look into the matter and take necessary steps to overcome the problem.
AMANIA NOOR
Karachi
